Chaos in Bali as volcano erupts again, thousands stranded at airport

Ash from a volcanic eruption on Indonesia’s holiday island of Bali forced the closure of the international airport on June 29, as volcano Mount Agung volcano became active again after having been dormant since late last year.

The eruption sent an ash column of 2,500 meters into the air and a reddish flame was visible in Mount Agung’s crater, Indonesian authorities said..

The National Disaster Mitigation Agency announced that so far 38 international and ten domestic flights were cancelled, affecting some 8,500 people.

The regional Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre in Darwin, Australia, said winds would carry the ash southwest toward Java, Indonesia’s most densely populated island. Volcanic ash is a potentially deadly threat to aircraft that can cause engines to “flame out.”

AirAsia, Jet Star, Qantas and Virgin were among the airlines that cancelled flights. Updates will be provided on June 30 in the morning, the carriers said.

Officials advise that people in south Bali in an area some 60 to 70 kilometers from the volcano are in no direct threat from the volcano’s eruption. The “danger zone” is a small area with a radius of approximately four kilometers from Mount Agung’s crater. All tourist activities and trekking activities near Mount Agung have been suspended until further notice.

Mount Agung has been rumbling since last year when it was feared in September that a full eruption was imminent and local residents were evacuated from the slopes and housed in evacuation centers. On numerous occasions the airport was closed

Ash from a volcanic eruption on Indonesia’s holiday island of Bali forced the closure of the international airport on June 29, as volcano Mount Agung volcano became active again after having been dormant since late last year.

The eruption sent an ash column of 2,500 meters into the air and a reddish flame was visible in Mount Agung’s crater, Indonesian authorities said..

The National Disaster Mitigation Agency announced that so far 38 international and ten domestic flights were cancelled, affecting some 8,500 people.

The regional Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre in Darwin, Australia, said winds would carry the ash southwest toward Java, Indonesia’s most densely populated island. Volcanic ash is a potentially deadly threat to aircraft that can cause engines to “flame out.”

AirAsia, Jet Star, Qantas and Virgin were among the airlines that cancelled flights. Updates will be provided on June 30 in the morning, the carriers said.

Officials advise that people in south Bali in an area some 60 to 70 kilometers from the volcano are in no direct threat from the volcano’s eruption. The “danger zone” is a small area with a radius of approximately four kilometers from Mount Agung’s crater. All tourist activities and trekking activities near Mount Agung have been suspended until further notice.

Mount Agung has been rumbling since last year when it was feared in September that a full eruption was imminent and local residents were evacuated from the slopes and housed in evacuation centers. On numerous occasions the airport was closed